Senator Testin Partners with Legislators to Advocate for Rural Wisconsin Initiative Development

On Feb. 14, Senator Patrick Testin (Stevens Point) joined with Assembly members of the Rural Wisconsin Initiative to help advance legislation to expand access to rural broadband, health care, education, and workforce opportunities.

“I’m proud to stand with my colleagues from across rural Wisconsin to on providing more jobs, better healthcare, quality educational opportunities, and expanded broadband to our communities,” said Testin. “Together, we can continue to move rural Wisconsin forward and ensure that our tight-knit communities remain great places to live, work, and raise a family.”

Senator Testin is co-authoring a bill with Rep. Romaine Quinn (Rice Lake) and Sen. Howard Marklein (Spring Green) to significantly increase funding for rural broadband and to better define the criteria for obtaining a grant so that the money goes where it is needed most.

“Just last week I met with a school superintendent in my district who talked about the importance of broadband. Educators use the internet as a teaching tool, and children who go home to a limited connection or no connection are at a serious disadvantage. We can’t talk about workforce development and the future of the economy, but then fail to provide the tools that the next generation will need to thrive.”